Criminal justice reporter

Athens-Clarke police are searching for a handcuffed man who escaped from a patrol car in west Athens.

The man was arrested shortly after 9 a.m. for shoplifting at the CVS pharmacy at the corner of Oglethorpe and Hawthorne avenues, police said. Police do not consider him to be a threat to the community, but are asking for the public’s help as they look for him.

“He’s not wanted for any violent charges that we know of at this time,” Athens-Clarke police Lt. Patrick Whitmore said. “The charges right now are shoplifting, obstruction and escape.”

The man was arrested shortly after 9 a.m. after he was caught shoplifting by CVS employees, police said. Officers handcuffed the man behind his back and placed him in the back of a patrol car while they interviewed store employees.

“He managed to wiggle the handcuffs to the front and that’s when climbed out the window,” Whitmore said. Officers chased after the man, but lost sight of him on Oglethorpe Avenue.

A wide perimeter has been set up for the search, extending from Jefferson Road to Tallassee Road, according to police.

Police were unable to immediately provide the suspect’s name. He is described as a thin black man, about 6 feet tall, weighing about 180 pounds, with his hair in short dreadlocks. He wore a white shirt and dark gray or black shorts, according to police.

The suspect may have suffered an injury when jumping a fence while officers chased him.

Police have asked anyone who sees the suspect to immediately call 911.

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